Sunday, September 23, 2007

Amazing Piecing!

One of the wonders of the internet is making friends with quilters from all over the globe! You find out what a small world it is.Even before I met Lucy, I was on several email lists with other quilters, and one quilter I learned to know via email happens to live in Amsterdam! After I met Lucy, I told this other email friend that I had a friend named Lucy who worked at a quilt shop in Haarlem, and did she know of her? Turns out they didn't know each other, but got to know each other through me...someone clear over here in the USA!When I took my trip to the Netherlands, it was a very special time when Lucy and I took the train into Amsterdam and had dinner at I's (just using her initial here, I didn't ask her permission to blog about her! *LOL*) house along with another internet friend who is also I's real life friend and neighbor. DEFINITELY a small world.Lucy and I met up with these two wonderful ladies while in Paducah! We got off the bus, were going up the steps to view the antique quilts at the armory (or wherever it was) and we heard this voice calling "LUCY!!!!!!!!" And there they were. What a fun time.We have a joke about me being an international quilt trafficker. :c) "I" sends me quilt tops, I quilt them, and because she is so well travelled, when she knows she is going to be in the US, I send them to wherever she will be, and she traffics them back home ;c) It works well! When I was in the Netherlands, I also brought some of her quilt tops home with me.

Her quilts are beautiful, and what is even more remarkable is that they are HAND PIECED. She lives a very busy life, but she always has some hand piecing along with her for waiting moments. I have really learned so much from this as I see how much she is able to accomplish without a machine. Just with some cut pieces, a needle, and some thread. Definitely inspirational!!

She is going to be in Boston this next week..so I am finishing up her quilts and getting them ready to mail on Monday. This star within a star quilt looks SO vintage I just had to share it with you! Because the fabrics are so busy....I am showing you here a pic of the back so you can see what the quilting detail looks like. I didn't want the quilting to be too heavy, I don't think this kind of scrap quilt needs tight filler stippling or anything that won't show in the fun prints she has used, but feathers are still called for! (When are they NOT?!?)

The second that quilt caught my eye I was taken in by its beauty. It is absolutely gorgeous. How exciting to have special friends and to be able to visit internationally and also do their quilts. A great story to share with us, thanks.

WOW...you really inspire me to use up all those 2" strips and 2 1/2" strips that I have no idea what to do with...I think I just have to bite the bullet and start sewing!Thanks for sharing such awesome quilts...